Galaxy's End: Book One by LeRoy Clary (popular ebook readers txt) 📗

Before he could answer, she forwarded the file. A ping sounded as she poked around in the few drawers and locker. Bert said with a chuckle, “Why bother to lock and encrypt a file if you use a standard algorithm a child can access? The file should be back on his tablet because I sent it to him. Interesting stuff.”

I opened the file and found Bert was right. There were pictures and videos. Plenty of them. Many were of attractive nude women and unless he was married to a few hundred of them, they were not his wives.

What was more interesting were the images of a green world with soaring trees and deep blue lakes. A resort floated on the lakes. There were more servants than occupants, the resort was luxurious. The brochures had five stars across the top. Each lake had a different theme for its resort.

The offerings were spectacular, imported from faraway worlds, along with the most beautiful women I’d ever seen. The only thing more spectacular than the individual resorts were the prices, so high they were almost boasting of the outrageous expense.

The last brochure I opened offered a lifetime membership in glowing print. The number displayed for the cost would buy most of Roma. I asked Bert, “Are you looking at what I am?”

“Yes. And I have an interesting item for you. The data in the tablet shows the file you are looking at was accessed three days before we departed Roma—and again two days ago.”

“What else?”

“An inquiry for availability was sent over a month ago. Three days before we departed, a “confirmation” was received and forwarded for payment to a bank on Cisco.”

So that was what Chance was concealing. He had a secret bank account and already paid for a lifetime membership in an exclusive resort. After killing the captain, he only needed freedom long enough to buy passage to Altera. No doubt he had secured several bank accounts enough to pay for that ticket.

No wonder he was smug.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Captain Stone

Inside the cabin of the dead captain, Stone located his clothing locker and withdrew several uniforms, all too large. However, in a drawer, he kept insignia, most with four bars incorporated in the design. Four bars were for a captain. She chose several and moved on to the crew’s quarters where she found a steward about her size.

She said, “I need clothing for a meeting with the military, so something official-looking. Where can I find it?”

“I’m Sheila, Captain. Let me show you what we have.”

The steward went to the laundry and opened a locker filled with uniforms to fit almost any body shape or size. The uniforms were primarily pale blue, with pinstriping down the outside of the legs, arms, and front seam. Sheila eyed Captain Stone and selected one. It fit almost perfectly. Captain Stone placed the handful of items displaying the four bars of a captain on a table.

Together, they pinned on a gold decoration, turning the plain uniform into something a little gaudy and official. Sheila prevented the captain from using too much, telling her, “Sometimes, less is better.”

Kat arrived and they created a uniform for her, including a few pins that didn’t have the captain’s bars but were no less impressive. She chose one with a wreath of leaves and little rubies set inside the middle. The former captain had probably kept them from his old uniforms as he rose in the ranks.

Despite the woman’s help, they didn’t discuss their plans until alone in the small docking bay beside the cargo hold. Captain Stone said, “I don’t know how much time we have, but here’s the basic plan. If I point to you with one finger, I want you to give the person across from us a gentle mental push. You’ll know from the conversation what I want them to decide. Two fingers mean a stronger effort. Three is all you got. I do not intend to use any, but one finger will be my limit unless we are in trouble.”

Captain Stone looked at Kat and gave her a confident smile.

Kat said, “This is a lot like holo-vids adventure, isn’t it?”

“Yes, with the exception that if you don’t like it or fail, you may die.”

Kat returned the smile and said, “In one of those holo-vids, the hero said, ‘this is a good day to die.’”

“He was lying.”

The vibration of the shuttle linking up was between a shudder and mild collision. Captain Stone knew she must look irritated at the sloppy helmsmanship and did nothing to hide it. Even though it was technically not her ship, there were rules and one of those rules said that you never banged into another ship. Not even a shuttle.

The airlock opened and two marines leaped out, rifles at the ready. A lieutenant in full-dress royal blues strode out behind. He was young, handsome, and well-mannered. He pulled to a halt a few steps away, saluted, and said, “I am Lieutenant Anders at your service. The admiral sent me to escort you, Captain Stone. This way if you please.”

He bowed at the waist slightly and used an arm to indicate the way to the airtight hatch a few steps away as if they didn’t know how to exit their ship. Stone returned the salute formally and moved ahead of Kat, whom she didn’t bother to introduce.

After Kat followed her, the pair of armed marines reentered the shuttle. Inside was a wide-bodied tube of maroon leather sofas, carpet, and cream-colored trim. A closed door led to the flight deck.

Captain Stone took a seat and Kat settled next to her. Stone noticed that Kat hadn’t yet taken her eyes off the lieutenant—and understood why. He was a looker. Tall, thin, blond, and very human. His actions